


How I Met My Boyfriend (At Back To School Night)

by starsnake



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Kravitz is Angus’s hot single english teacher/band director, M/M, Taako is Angus’s adopted father, Teacher AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-04
Updated: 2018-05-17
Packaged: 2019-05-01 23:03:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14531298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starsnake/pseuds/starsnake
Summary: Angus starts middle school. Taako thinks his teacher is hot, Angus tries to help.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!! This is my first ever fic i’ve written, comments are super encouraged!! you can find me on tumblr at starsnake!!

“Agnes, lets go, you’re gonna be late pumpkin!” Taako yelled over his shoulder, halfway through packing Angus’s lunch.  
“Coming, sir!” Angus replied, stumbling out of his room, his tie not yet tied and his shoes not yet on. 

Ever since the death of his grandfather, Angus had been homeschooled. Being in the foster care system never allowed him to remain in one place for long, and the director of the orphanage he had lived at before being placed in someone’s home had decided homeschooling would be much more beneficial.

Now, with his new, hopefully more permanent home, he was ready to attend public school. Sure, he was nervous, any kid on their first day of middle school would be, but he tried to redefine the “butterflies-in-his-stomach” as excitement. Hell, Taako seemed about a million more times nervous than Angus was. Angus was a smart kid, but he was small, and Taako knew from experience that new kids lacking in strength and making up for it in smarts were usually  
made easy targets for teasing. 

“Ready to go?” Taako asked.  
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Angus grinned, tying his tie and tucking it into his sweater vest. 

About a half an hour later, Angus arrived at Rockport Middle School, a large, 2-story building lined with half-dead trees and big glass windows. He scooted out of the car, saying a quick goodbye to Taako, and rushing into the building to search for his first period class. 

When he arrived at the classroom, room 236, he was greeted by a tall, somewhat-young looking man, who he assumed to be Mr. Kravitz, his english teacher.  
“Hello there, I’m Mr. Kravitz, I’ll be your english teacher this year,” Kravitz said with a smile, greeting him at the door. “And you are?”  
“My name is Angus McDonald,” Angus said, a bit nervously. “Its nice to meet you, sir,” he smiled.  
“Its nice to meet you too, Angus. Go ahead and find a seat, we’ll start class once the bell rings,” Kravitz said, gesturing towards the rows of desks that filled the room. Angus nodded and took his seat at the front of the class, and with the ringing of a bell, his first day of school began. 

A few hours had passed, and it was finally time for band, the class Angus had been looking forward to since he had arrived. Angus played the clarinet, he had ever since he could remember, and while nothing else was ever constant, music always was. Walking into the classroom, he immediately noticed the band director as the tall, friendly looking man who had earlier introduced himself as his english teacher. 

After being organized by instrument and spending an hour or so practicing, band class ended.  
“As your last teacher, I’m supposed to remind you that back to school night is Thursday night, don’t forget to tell your parents!” Mr. Kravitz said as the kids we’re on their way out. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hey pumpkin, how was school?” Taako asked, keeping his eyes on the road.  
“It was okay,” Angus said.  
“Just okay? How were your teachers?” Taako said, glancing over at him for a moment.  
“They were okay. I really like my english teacher, he’s really nice. He teaches band, too,” Angus answered, looking back at him and smiling a little.  
“Thats great!” Taako said, relieved. He wanted the best for Angus, and was afraid he wouldn’t have been interested in any of his classes, already having the mind of a genius 30-year-old.  
“I’m supposed to tell you, back to school night is on Thursday,” Angus remembered. He wasn’t really sure what that meant yet, but he knew he’d find out.  
“Oh, alright. I’ll be sure to make it,” Taako said, though he wasn’t too fond of the idea of wandering around a middle school, introducing himself to stuck-up PTA moms and listening to shitty boring presentations from shitty boring people. He would go, though. He would attend any shitty, boring event for his boy.  
It didn’t take long before they arrived back home. Angus hurried up the stairs and into his room. Taako flopped down onto the couch and sighed. He was worried about him, Angus wasn’t really the type to go out of his way to make friends, but if he was going to be staying in the same place for a while it probably wouldn’t hurt. He took off the large, garish hat he was wearing and set it down on the coffee table. Thursday was going to be hell, he thought, but he knew it was important that he went. Making a good first impression never hurt, he would put on his best pair of heels and show up all the annoying-ass-bake-sale-volunteer-moms with his hot ass outfit. 

Taako rolled his eyes, grabbing his hat off the table and heading upstairs to his room. On his way up, he knocked on the door to Angus’s bedroom, opening it slowly when he didn’t get an answer.  
“Ango?” he said cautiously, making sure he wasn’t walking in on anything he would regret seeing, only to find Angus asleep on his bed, glasses still on and book still open in his lap. Taako smiled softly, taking off his glasses and picking up the book. He set both of them down on Angus’s desk and left the room, turning off the lights and closing the door quietly with a soft “Goodnight.”  
Taako entered his room, flopping down on his bed with a large sigh. He really, really didn’t want to go to back to school night, but at this point it didn’t seem like he had a choice. He promised Angus he would go, and there was no way in hell he would ever back out of it. Tossing his hat down onto the floor and kicking off his shoes, Taako shoved his head into his pillow and it wasn’t long before he, too, was asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

It was back to school night, and there was no way in hell Taako was missing it. He had promised, and it would absolutely break Angus’s heart if he didn’t go. Dressed in a rather classy, if he would say so himself, skirt along with a long sleeved button down shirt and black kitten heels, he left for the school.   
Taako had never seen so many horrible, horrible people in one place in his lifetime. Rockport Middle School was a breeding ground for stuck up, insecure adults who had quite obviously never accomplished anything in their insignificant lives and found peace through living through their children. They were like sharks, and the air was filled with the blood of academia.   
Ready to get back in his car and leave, Taako spotted a handsome, well dressed stranger being absolutely mobbed by parents at the front of the room. Maybe this place isn’t as god-awful as I thought, Taako mused, making his way over to him.   
Upon closer inspection, Taako noticed a nametag. Kravitz, it read, no last name was given. Taako had heard about him vaguely from Angus, who he seemed to have made a positive impression on.   
“Mr… Kravitz, is it?” Taako asked with a small, lopsided smirk. “I’m Taako,” he said, introducing himself and holding out his hand for him to shake.   
“Just Kravitz is fine,” Kravitz replied, accepting the handshake. Taako nodded, finding it a little odd that the man went by his last name, but he wouldn’t pry. “So, who’s father are you?” He asked.   
“Oh, I’m Angus’s dad, Angus McDonald?” Taako answered.   
“Ah, yes, Angus. Smart kid,” Kravitz smiled. “I believe he’s in my band class too, clarinet, right?” He asked.  
Taako snorted. “You teach band?” He asked. There was no way in this hot piece of ass was a band nerd.  
Kravitz looked embarrassed. “Yeah,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’ve played the french horn since middle school.” He said. Taako was done-for. Tall, hot, oddly semi-goth, and a band geek? This guy would be the death of him.   
“Cool, cool, french horn, I can respect that,” Taako grinned.   
“Yeah… I think I’ve got to start the presentation soon, but it was nice meeting you,” Kravitz said, smiling back at him.   
“Sweet, it was nice meeting you too,” Taako said, turning away to take a seat at one of the desks.   
Kravitz presentation went smoothly, Taako tried to ignore the fact that he nervously slipped into a horrible, horrible British accent. The class seemed interesting enough, and it certainly helped to have a hot teacher--not that that was anything he thought Angus would be particularly interested in. Taako spent the entirety of the speech looking for an excuse to talk to Kravitz again, not wanting to seem like a creep. After the presentation, Taako stayed in his seat, waiting for the rest of the parents to leave so he could talk to him without fearing interruption. Taako stood, approaching him.   
“Hey… About Angus,” Taako began, a bit nervously. “He’s a good kid, really smart too, but he has trouble making friends. He’s really not used to… staying in one place for too long. This is his first time at public school in a long ass time, I just want to make sure he’s fitting in okay,” he explained, wringing his hands.  
“Of course,” Kravitz said understandingly. “We could set up some conferences if you would like, so you can check in with me,” he suggested.  
“Yes!” Taako’s voice cracked. “I mean,” he cleared his throat, “yeah, that would be great,” he smiled.  
“Fantastic, how about we meet… in a few weeks? I’ll keep an eye on him to make sure he’s adjusting,” Kravitz said.  
“Fantastic, yeah,” Taako said. He paused. “Cool, I’m gonna get going, it was nice meeting you,” Taako smiled.   
“It was nice meeting you too, Taako.”  
Taako was an absolute mess when he got home, falling face first into the couch with a groan. Hearing him come in, Angus rushed to the living room, finding his father in a rather puzzling state.  
“Hello, sir!” Angus grinned. “Um… How was Back To School Night?” He asked, sitting on his back. Taako let out a muffled reply. “Can’t hear you, sir,” he said, looking down at him. Taako lifted his head up, groaning from the strain having an 11-year-old sitting on you back usually resulted in.  
“It was alright,” he said. “Your teachers seem nice,” he added. “What’s Mr. Kravitz’s deal? He looks like he’s got some weird formal goth thing going on.”  
“Yeah, he’s pretty cool. He has a tiny raven statue on his desk, he named it Akrsna, it means dark, I think,” Angus giggled. Taako groaned, shoving his face back into the pillow. “Sir? Are you alright?”   
“I’m fine,” Taako grumbled. Why the hell did Angus’s teacher not only have to be hot, but also a gigantic dork? Why had Istus cursed him in this way.  
“Alright then… I’m gonna go do my homework,” Angus said, sliding off of his back and making his way back into his room.   
“Dinner’ll be ready in 30,” Taako shouted, getting off the couch and walking into the kitchen. He opened the fridge, scanning it for ingredients and deciding on a broccoli and cheddar quiche. I wonder if Kravitz likes quiche, Taako thought.

Angus sat down on his bed, pulling out a small notebook and a pencil. Taako was acting weird, and as the future world’s greatest detective, he would get to the bottom of it. He wrote down all it was that he knew so far: Taako left a few hours ago for Back To School Night, met his teachers, and came home acting strange. Well, strange for Taako wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, he usually acted strange. But still, he usually didn’t come home and suffocate himself in the throw pillows, he would hate for any makeup to end up on it. He didn’t really bring anything up that could have been bothering. All he really talked about was-- Oh. Mr. Kravitz. Angus slammed his notebook shut, another mystery solved thanks to the amazing Angus McDonald-Taaco! Gross, but kind of nice, Angus thought. He wasn’t completely sure how to feel about his dad having a crush on his teacher, but if getting with Mr. Kravitz would make him happy, he would do anything in his power to help. 

“Morning, Taako!” Magnus shouted from the back of the restaurant, already busy setting up tables.  
“Morning,” Taako grumbled, distracted. It had been three weeks since he met Kravitz, and he was supposed to meet with him again later that night. He had already gotten a head start on his makeup, but his boss didn’t let him do anything too glamorous, to his dismay. Lucretia was great, but she could be pretty strict sometimes. She wouldn’t even let Taako wear his favorite sequin shirt to work.   
“What’s up with you, something on your mind?” Merle asked, that stupid, stupid smirk on his face again.   
“No,” Taako said, tying on an apron and heading back into the kitchen.   
“I bet it’s a boy,” Magnus teased, drawing out the o.   
“Ooh! Tell us,” Merle said, grinning.  
“Guys, come on, I’m trying to work. You should be too,” Taako rolled his eyes.  
Merle snorted. “Yeah, like you’re ever trying to work.”  
“Rude, I have no idea what you’re talking about. I am, the most motivated, hardworking elf you will ever meet,” Taako joked.   
“Yeah, yeah. Whatever, we’ll get it out of you eventually,” Merle said, getting back to work.  
The rest of the work day went pretty much without any trouble, aside from Magnus’s occasional winking at him from the other side of the restaurant. Taako checked the time on his phone, 5:30, half an hour before his meeting with Kravitz. He hung up his apron, ready to leave.   
“Where are you off to in such a hurry?” Merle asked, stopping him on his way out.   
“I’ve got plans,” Taako said nonchalantly, trying to avoid another annoying ass interrogation session.  
“Ooh, does somebody have a date?” Magnus joined in.   
“Hah, I wish. I’m meeting with Angus’s teacher tonight,” Taako rolled his eyes, trying to push past them.   
“Why are you getting yourself all prettied up for a parent teacher conference? Unless…” Magnus was quiet for a moment. “Oh my god. Taako Taaco, do you have a crush on your son’s teacher?” Magnus asked, grinning at him.   
Taako blushed profusely, trying to hide it by tilting his head down and refusing to make eye contact. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said defensively.   
“Dude, that’s hilarious!” Magnus laughed. “Good luck,” he said, unblocking the door.  
“Oh please, I don’t need luck,” Taako mumbled, walking through the doors. “See you guys tomorrow,” he shouted over his shoulder, and with that, he was officially on his way to meet Kravitz.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry!! This one was a bit short, but I promise theres much more to come!! Thank you so much for reading and leaving kudos, I really appreciate it!!


	3. Chapter 3

Taako arrived at Rockport Middle School, nervous as hell. He looked himself over in his rearview mirror one last time, running his fingers through his bangs and double-checking his makeup. He sighed, leaving his car and making his way into the school.

It took a while for Taako to navigate the halls, eventually finding room 236 and knocking softly on the door before opening it and peeking his head inside. “Kravitz?” Taako asked, though the man was nowhere to be seen. He bit his lip, debating with himself momentarily before walking into the room and closing the door behind him quietly. He sat down at a desk, looking around the room. 

Posters lined the walls, mostly with grammar rules and tacky inspirational quotes. Dumb, yet cute. Kravitz’s desk was mostly empty, aside from a bulky computer and the small raven statue Angus said was named Arksna. There were some large, intellectual looking books. He looked over the title, Poems From the Soul, and couldn’t help but smile. Of course Kravitz would read poetry, he plays the french horn, Taako thought. Kravitz’s desk seemed to be lacking in the usual family photos; Taako couldn’t help but feel hopeful about that. 

The door opened, startling Taako a little as his attention turned towards the tall man who had just entered the room. Kravitz was dressed in all black, aside from a red tie that stood out against his dark button-up. He looked like he had walked straight out of a Fantasy Hot Topic in 2005. His cologne made Taako feel dizzy. 

“Sorry I’m late, I had to run to the office for something,” Kravitz said. He looked frazzled, yet still oddly put together. One sleeve was pushed up higher than the other, and Taako noticed the end of a tattoo on his forearm. It looked like a rose. 

“Don’t worry about it, it's all good here my dude,” Taako said, trying not to look too surprised. He leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. 

“So, Angus,” Kravitz said, sitting down at the desk next to him. 

“Right, Angus,” Taako said, not sure why he was feeling so nervous, this was just a regular conversation between two normal, very hot people. 

“He really seems to be adjusting well,” Kravitz said. “Super smart, seriously, it’s impressive, you’ve done a great job raising him.”

“Oh, please. The kid practically raised himself, I can’t take any credit for that,” Taako said, feeling proud. “Does it look like he’s made any friends?” Taako asked. 

“I’m… really not sure. He doesn’t spend a lot of time talking, he’s usually either reading or scribbling into a little notebook he carries around,” Kravitz replied. 

Taako sighed. “Yeah, that sounds like him,” he chuckled. 

“There are a few people he talks to, though. A couple kids that sit near him in class, and he and his stand partner seem to like each other.”

“That’s good,” Taako said, relieved that he wasn’t entirely ignoring his peers. 

“I do have… a few concerns though,” Kravitz said. “I think he’s… bored, in these classes. Have you ever thought about having him skip a grade? He’s already the top of my class.”

Taako bit his lip. “Angus is… really smart, but I’m afraid he’ll get picked on if I move him up too far.”

Kravitz nodded. “That’s understandable.” He paused, thinking for a moment. “I think… that’s all I really had to talk with you about,” he said. “It was very nice meeting with you Mr… McDonald?”

“Taaco, actually,” Taako responded. 

Kravitz looked surprised. “Sorry— your name is Taako Taaco?” he asked, confused. It was kind of cute. 

“Yessir,” he replied, with a bit of a smug smile. “First with a k, last with a c. Twice the Taako, twice the fun,” he winked. 

“I see…” Kravitz said, confused. “He uses your wife’s last name then?”

Taako laughed. “Wife, that’s hysterical. Actually, I’m not Angus’s biological father, he uses his name.”

Kravitz nodded. “So… no wife then?” He almost sounded hopeful. 

Taako snorted. “No, Kravitz, no wife. Cha’ boy is single and ready to mingle, my man, and not really looking for wives, if you catch my drift.”

“Oh…” Kravitz said, suddenly red. 

“So uh, what about you?” Taako asked. “Is there a Mrs or Mr. Kravitz?”

“No not currently,” Kravitz replied. 

“Cool, cool, free agent, I dig it,” Taako said, mentally punching himself in the face for saying something so completely awkward. 

“Well, Mr. Taaco, thank you for meeting with me, this has been… nice,” Kravitz said, standing and holding out a hand to shake. His odd formality was charming. 

“Please, call me Taako,” Taako said, standing and shaking his hand, his face feeling a bit warm. 

“Alright, Taako,” Kravitz smiled, and Taako knew he was absolutely, wholeheartedly, completely fucked.  
~~~  
“Hello, sir! How was your day?” Angus asked, beaming at him. 

“It was alright, what about you, pumpkin?” Taako asked, slipping off his heels and leaving them by the door. He started towards the kitchen. 

“It was fine, how was your meeting with Mr. Kravitz?” Angus asked, following him and sitting on the counter, swinging his feet. 

“It was…” Taako paused. “Hold on, how did you know I was meeting with him?” He turned to face him. 

“Well… I didn’t know for sure, but now I do! I had a suspicion, and you did leave the house dressed a little nicer than usual. Also, I know you have a thing for tall men with nice cheekbones,” he said. 

“Huh. Nothing gets past you, huh kid?” Taako asked. 

“Well, I am the world’s greatest— hey!” Angus was interrupted by Taako lifting him off the counter and setting him on his feet. 

“Yeah yeah, world’s greatest detective, I know,” Taako teased, pulling some ingredients out of the fridge and setting them down where Angus had been sitting. “Geez, what am I gonna do with you, kid,” Taako sighed. “You’re too smart for your own good sometimes,” he ruffled his hair. 

“I know,” Angus giggled. “I’m gonna go finish my homework,” he said. Taako nodded, and Angus disappeared back into his room. 

Angus sat down at his desk, pulling out a pencil and a piece of paper. He had a plan, and it was going to work. Angus bit his lip. He knew it would be risky, but he had to try; He would do anything to help his dad. “Dear Kravitz,” Angus wrote, hesitating before erasing it. He did his best to write in Taako’s over-the-top cursive handwriting. “Kravitz,” he wrote. “I wanted to thank you again for meeting with me last night, maybe over dinner some time? Call me, Taako.” He wrote, followed by Taako’s phone number he had memorized in case of emergency a while back. He put it in an envelope, before realizing there was no way Taako would use an envelope, and then pulled it out again, folding it in half and placing it in his backpack.  
~~~

“Angus, It’s 7:30, lets go! You’re gonna be late!” Taako shouted. 

“Coming, sir!” Angus said, rushing down the hall and meeting Taako at the front door. 

“Don’t forget your lunch,” Taako said, handing it to him. “Leftovers from last night.” Angus nodded, taking it and stuffing it into his bag, careful not to wrinkle his note to Kravitz. They both got into the car, and Angus was off to school.

When he arrived at the classroom, Angus could feel the nerves starting to build in his stomach. He sat down at his desk, getting his supplies ready for class. He decided on handing his the note at the end of class, he wouldn't have to worry about people being nosy if they were gone. Class went by slower than usual, Angus nervously bouncing his leg and checking the clock on the wall. 

After about an hour, the bell rang. Angus took as long as possible to pack his bag, waiting for everyone else to leave, before walking up to Kravitz. 

“Um… Mr. Kravitz?” Angus asked nervously, refusing to make eye contact with him. 

“Oh, Angus, I didn’t know you were still here,” Kravitz said, a bit startled. “How can I help you?” He asked.

“My dad wanted me to give you this… He said he wanted to thank you for meeting with him last night,” Angus said, handing him the letter and hoping he wouldn’t open it while he was still standing there. 

“Oh, that’s very kind of him,” Kravitz said, taking the note, looking down at it. He looked like he was ready to open it, and Angus used that as his cue to split.

“Yup! I have to go to class, bye!” Angus said, hurrying out the door.

“Goodbye, Angus,” Kravitz said. He was a strange kid, but sweet. Kravitz looked down at the note, curious. He unfolded it, reading the letter and blushing. Why would Taako want to get dinner with me? Kravitz thought, looking it over again to make sure he had read it correctly. He didn’t want to misinterpret the note, that would lead to plenty of awkward conversations, and he didn’t want to make Taako uncomfortable. Taako was cute, really cute, but he was also Angus’s father, and he thought it would be odd for him to date a student’s parent. Still, it couldn’t hurt to message him. 

Kravitz bit his lip, pulling his phone out of his pocket and opening his messages. “Hello, this is Kravitz. I got your note, Angus gave it to me after class today. Dinner sounds lovely, I would love to get to know more about you. Let me know when you’re free --Kravitz,” Kravitz typed, biting his lip. He read the message over a few times, making sure it was absolutely perfect before hitting send. Kravitz put his phone back into his pocket, ready to continue on with his day.


	4. Chapter 4

Taako stared at his phone in disbelief, reading the text over and over again, still somewhat confused as to how and why Kravitz had his phone number. Why the hell does this guy sign his texts? Taako thought, though he couldn’t help but to find it kind of cute. He bit his lip, starting to type, but erasing the message and restarting a few times before settling on “hell yeah man, dinner sounds great, does next friday sound good for you?” 

Taako took a deep breath before hitting send. It only took a few minutes for him to get a reply: “Next friday sounds lovely, I’ll see you then.” Taako’s cheeks flushed before he turned off his phone, putting it in his pocket and getting back to work. 

“What are you blushing about?” Merle asked, walking in with a tray full of dirty dishes. 

“It’s nothing,” Taako said, starting on an order he had just received from Magnus. 

“Is it that guy again? Angus’s teacher?” he asked, not ready to give up any time soon. 

Taako rolled his eyes. “If I tell you it is, would it get you to leave?” he asked. 

“I dunno, depends on how embarrassing it is,” Merle answered, grinning like an asshole.

Taako sighed. “Fine. Yes, I’m getting dinner with Angus’s hot english teacher.”

Merle burst out laughing. “That is literally the best thing I have ever heard you say,” he said. “Holy shit, kid. You’re going on a date with your son’s teacher!” he said, wiping a tear from the corner if his eye. 

“He’s just a person, Merle. We’re just two, normal men going on a normal date,” Taako said. 

“So how does Angus feel about all this?” Merle asked, leaning on the counter. 

“Angus…” Taako sighed. “I think Angus is trying to hook us up, he gave Kravitz my number,” he said. 

“That little sneak,” Merle said, grinning. “Well hey, at least you know it doesn’t gross him out,” he said, picking his tray back up. “I’ve gotta go grab some more dishes,” he said, starting to walk towards the door. “Tell me how it goes,” he yelled over his shoulder, the door swinging shut behind him. 

~~~

“Hey kiddo, how was school?” Taako asked, glancing over at him out of the corner of his eye. He had just picked Angus from school, and the two of them were sitting in the car, an uncomfortable energy between them. 

“It was okay,” Angus shrugged, staring out the window.

“So uh, I got a pretty interesting text today,” Taako said. 

“Oh?” Angus asked innocently, still not looking at him. 

“Yeah, from your teacher, Mr. Kravitz,” he said, looking over at him once they were stopped at a red light. 

“How nice,” Angus said. “He’s really nice.”

“Angus, look at me,” Taako said. Angus turned towards him. “Did you give Mr. Kravitz my phone number? I’m not mad, I just want to know.”

 

Angus was quiet for a moment before he nodded. “I just… I knew you liked him, you were acting so weird when you got back from Back To School Night,” he explained. “He’s exactly your type, I know you think he’s hot, and I know you want to go get dinner with him,” Angus said. 

“Angus McDonald! You cannot go around giving my phone number to people, especially your teacher,” Taako said, sighing. The light changed, and he continued to drive. 

“You are going to go get dinner with him though, right?” Angus said. 

Taako sighed. “Yes,” he said pushing his hair out of his face. 

“See? I did help,” Angus said, satisfied. “So… when are you going?” He asked. 

“Next friday,” he said. 

“Where are you going?” he asked. 

“That wine and pottery place down the street, the Chug n Squeeze? Friday is vase night,” Taako answered. 

“What are you wearing?” Angus asked. 

“I don’t know, a glittery thong. Why are you being all nosy?” Taako asked. 

“I just want it to go well,” Angus said. “I know you really like him.”

“I’m sure it’ll go great, pumpkin. Who could resist this sweet piece of ass?” Taako joked, though he did feel a little nervous about the whole thing. 

“Please don’t talk about your ass, sir. I am still a little boy,” Angus said. 

“Yeah, yeah. A little, sneaky, meddling boy,” Taako said, pulling into his parking spot and stopping the car. He unbuckled his seatbelt, opening the door and getting out of the car as Angus did the same, starting to walk towards the front door. “So, other than… that, how is school going? Have you made any friends?” 

Angus was quiet for a moment. “School is alright, my grades are pretty good, I’m at the top of most of my classes,” he said, not making eye contact with him. 

“What about the other kids, Ango, are they nice?” Taako asked, worried. 

Angus shrugged. “I don’t really talk to them all that much, they don’t really want to talk to me either.”

Taako sighed. “Angus, making friends is good for you, you’re still a kid, don’t forget that.”

Angus nodded. “I won’t,” he said.

“Good,” Taako unlocked the door, walking inside. “Go start on your homework,” he said. “I’ll call you when dinner is ready.” Angus nodded, running off to his room. Taako sighed, starting to cook, letting his thoughts wander.

~~~

“That’s what you’re wearing?” Angus asked, sitting on Taako’s bed. 

“Right, like I’m going to take fashion advice from a 6th grader who wears sweater vests and bowties,” Taako teased, looking himself over in the mirror. This was the third outfit he’d tried on tonight, many of them winning the same reaction from Angus. He was wearing chunky black ankle boots, along with a short black skirt with polka-dot tights under them, mostly to combat the cold, and a white and black heart print sweater. His makeup was simple, he didn’t want to come off like he was trying much harder than he had to, with black winged eyeliner and a soft, blotted red lip. His hair was braided into a long french braid, slung over his shoulder. 

“Hey! The bowties are good,” Angus said. “It adds some class.”

Taako snorted. “Class? Angus, you’re 10,” he said. 

“At least I don’t dress like it, sir!” Angus said, grinning at him. 

“Ouch, that stings,” Taako said, glancing at the clock. “I should get going,” he said, giving himself another look-over in the mirror. 

Angus nodded. “Have fun on your date, sir!” he said.

“Will do, don’t throw any parties while I’m out,” Taako said, walking into the living room and towards the front door. “There’s leftovers in the fridge, pretty good shit if I do say so myself,” he opened the door. “Later, Ango,” Taako said.

“Goodbye, dad!” Angus said as Taako closed the door. 

Around 20 minutes later, Taako arrived at the restaurant. He took a deep breath, walking through the front doors and looking around for Kravitz. Kravitz noticed him, smiling and waving him over. Taako blushed and walked towards him, sitting down on the somewhat small couch Kravitz was seated on. There was a bottle of wine along with two glasses on the table. 

“Hello, Taako,” Kravitz said. “It’s nice to see you,” he scooted over a little, making a little more room for him. 

“Hey, Kravitz,” Taako said, looking him over. As usual, he was slightly overdressed, wearing a black button down with the sleeves rolled up so that his tattoos were less hidden and a matching shade of black pants. “It’s nice to see you too,” he said, and he meant it, Kravitz certainly was nice to look at. 

“I uh, brought you these,” Kravitz said, handing him a bouquet of roses. Taako blushed. It was pretty cheesy, but it was pretty damn sweet, too. “Sorry, I know there really isn’t anywhere for you to keep them right now.”

Taako smiled. “Thanks, they’re perfect,” he said. “So uh, how have you been? I haven’t seen you for a bit,” he asked.

“I’ve been good, work’s been a lot easier, getting back into the groove,” he said.

“I bet, it must be weird to not work for that long and then come back in full swing,” Taako said.

“Yeah, it’s pretty weird,” Kravitz said. “So… what about you?” he asked. “What do you do?”

“Nothing interesting,” Taako answered. “I’m a chef at a diner called the Early Birds,” he said.

“Oh, you cook?” Kravitz asked.

“Yeah, I’m pretty damn good if I do say so myself,” he said. “I’d love to have my own restaurant someday, me and my sister, Lup. She’s living with her boyfriend Barry right now in Goldcliff studying astronomy,” he said. 

“Astronomy, wow. She sounds pretty smart,” Kravitz said. 

Taako smiled. “Yeah, she and her nerd boyfriend.”

The instructor walked up to the front of the room. “Hello everybody, my name is Jonathan, welcome to the Chug N’ Squeeze,” he said. “Tonight is vase night, so let’s get started on that!” he said, plopping a hunk of clay on the table and starting to give instructions. 

“So… other than playing the french horn and teaching english to 10 year olds, what do you like to do?” Taako asked, grabbing some clay and half-listening to Carey’s instructions, but also not really following them. 

“I like to read, poetry mostly. I write, too, when I have the time,” Kravitz said. “What about you?”

Taako shrugged. “I don’t really get a lot of free time, I’m kind of a full-time dad. I’ve been trying to get into yoga lately though, gotta get that date body back where it used to be,” he said. 

“So this is a date?” Kravitz asked, hopeful. 

Taako rolled his eyes. “No, Kravitz, I’m just a gay man going to get completely platonic drink with another highly attractive man,” he said, blushing a little. 

“Oh,” Kravitz blushed. “Well, I think this other man would be happy to know I also think he is very attractive,” he said, glancing down at the oddly shaped lump of clay Taako was shaping between his hands. “Uh… what are you making?” He asked.

Taako shrugged. “I dunno, something. I think it’s gonna be a bowl,” he answered. “Taako makes vases for no one,” he grinned. 

“That’s… respectable,” Kravitz said, looking at his own lump of clay. It was looking a little more like a sad, sad cup than a vase. He shifted his hands, his vase becoming even more cup-like. 

“Need some help?” Taako asked, scooting a little closer to him. He didn’t wait for an answer before cautiously placing his hands over Kravitz’s, recoiling when he found that Kravitz’s hands were about as cold as an actual corpse. “Shit, you’re a chilly one, aren’t you?” Taako said.

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Kravitz said sheepishly. “I’ve got uh, poor circulation.”

“No, no, its cool, I dig it,” Taako said, returning his hands to their previous spot. He knitted his eyebrows together, focusing on Kravitz’s vase. He moved Kravitz’s hands gently, the vase gradually becoming more vase shaped. Kravitz blushed at the contact, glancing over at Taako out of the corner of his eye. He looked quite focused, and Kravitz couldn’t help but smile a little. 

Kravitz poured himself a glass of wine, starting to sip on it. “So… you have a sister?” he asked, trying to make conversation.

“Yeah, she’s great. We’re twins,” Taako said. “She comes down to visit sometimes, it’s weird with her gone, we used to be practically joined at the hip. What about you, have you got any family?”

Kravitz shook his head. “No, not really. My mother, Raven, is still around, but that’s about it.”

Taako nodded. “I can’t imagine not having my sister around. We lost our parents when we were pretty young, so she’s really the only family I ever had.”

Kravitz frowned. “Oh… I’m sorry,” he said. 

Taako shrugged it off. “It’s alright, I mean I was too young to remember them so it’s a little hard to miss them. I mean, yeah, it sucks, but we turned out okay,” he said. “We’ve both kind of got little families of our own now, she’s got Barold and I’ve got Ango.”

Kravitz nodded. “How is Angus?” he asked, taking another sip of his wine.

“He’s alright, same as usual I guess, still a big nerd,” Taako said. “I think he likes going to school, gives him something to do while I’m at work all day.”

“I’m happy to hear that,” Kravitz said. “He’s doing a lot better socially, I think he has some solid friends now.”

Taako’s face lit up. “Really?” he said, smiling a little. “That’s great,” he said, sipping his wine. “And the other kids… they’re nice to him, right? Kids like Angus tend to get picked on more than usual.”

“I haven’t really noticed any of that going on,” Kravitz said. “I’ll keep an eye on him, though.”

Taako nodded, seeming satisfied. He looked down at his bowl, which had become a bit misshapen while he was distracted talking to Kravitz. “Aw, shit,” he said, trying to fix it. He looked over at Kravitz’s vase, also oddly shaped and lumpy, and couldn’t help but laugh. “I guess neither of us are the artsy type, huh?” he asked. 

Kravitz laughed as well, a sound that made Taako swoon. “I suppose you’re right,” he said, giving up on his absolute failure of a vase. He glanced down at his watch, surprised to see that it was already getting late. Taako noticed, checking the time on his phone as well. 

“Jeez, didn’t realize how late it was getting, how about we pop these babies in the oven and call it a night?” Taako asked. 

Kravitz nodded, waving over an employee who took their “vases” over to the kiln. She made a face at Taako’s, who simply shrugged and said “Taako makes vases for no man.” She rolled her eyes, telling them they could swing by and pick up their vases in a few days before she took them away. 

Kravitz and Taako stood, heading for the door and walking outside. “I… had a really nice time tonight, thank you for this, Taako,” Kravitz said, smiling. 

Taako smiled back. “Hey, I can’t blame you, who wouldn’t have a grand ass time on a date with the Taako, world-famous diner chef,” he said, pausing for a moment before adding “But yeah, thanks. I had a really nice time too,” he said, hesitating before standing on his toes to give Kravitz a quick kiss on the cheek, a blush spreading across both the men’s faces. “Goodnight, Kravitz,” Taako said, smiling.

Kravitz looked surprised. “Goodnight, Taako,” he said, smiling back. Taako turned away from him, getting into his car, stealing one last look at Kravitz before he fired up the engine, driving off.

Kravitz watched him leave before getting into his own car, leaning back into the seat and putting his hands over his face, a grin making his way across his lips. That was a pretty damn successful date, if he did say so himself. He sighed, recollecting himself before buckling his seatbelt, checking his mirrors, and finally driving home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this one took so long for me to get up!! i had ap testing and all that junk. chapter 5 might take a little longer too, i have finals and some other important stuff coming up, but i promise after that they won't take as long!!


End file.
